Leap of Faith: How to Quit Your 9 to 5 to Become an Entrepreneur?

Tired of the 9 to 5 grind or maybe you have a business idea that you would like to bring to life? The idea of not having a steady income can be scary but at the same time bringing your business idea to life can be exciting. There is also the fact that only a few achieve success from a 9 to 5 job. But you don't want to go about the process being impulsive Before you decide to hand in your resignation letter, you want to be ready for a life of both hardship and success. The following tips will help you prepare for it. Do your prep work Not doing your research beforehand and just quitting to start a business can be one of the biggest mistakes you make. Rather than taking such an approach, start working on your business even before you quit because not all startups make it. This will allow you to transition into being an entrepreneur with much more ease. Otherwise, it will be like jumping in the deep end of the pool without knowing how to swim properly. Doing your prep work doesn't mean you have to wait until the business is successful before you quit. You want to do your research on basic things like:

• Knowing your product and service in and out.
• Being aware of your target audience and how to approach them.
• Doing research on your competition.
• Having an idea of which marketing approach and channels you can get the most results from.

Have your finance in order You can't expect to venture off and start a new business with just a few hundred bucks in your account. No matter how much faith you have in your business idea, you can't take such a risk. You want to ensure that you have enough money to survive for a minimum of six months. You don't want to have to constantly worry about paying your bills which would take the focus off your business. Besides your personal finances, you want to identify funding options for your business. Are you planning on using your personal savings or looking for investors? You want to have the finances of your business in order before it even starts. Prepare your business plan You can't expect your business to be successful without proper planning. You want to have a comprehensive business plan ready before you take the plunge into it. In the plan you want to include the following:

• Overview of the business
• Executive summary
• Description of the company
• Objectives, vision and mission statement
• Details about the market you will target
• Your marketing strategy
• Bios of the team you have
• Operational plan
• Financial plan

This will help you pitch your business to investors as well as layout your plan of executing the business more efficiently. Resign with dignity You want to end your relationship with the organization on a good note. Don't burn any bridges in the process because you may never know when contacts from the organization may be of assistance to you and your business. This means serving your notice period, training your replacement, and completing all your tasks before leaving. Embarking on your quest as an entrepreneur is more challenging than most think. This is why many entrepreneurs start a business on the side of their full-time job, waiting for it to take off before quitting their 9 to 5. Our tips should help you take a smarter approach to quit your job and starting your business on the right foot. These will help you lay down a foundation for a successful life ahead as an entrepreneur.